Game-counter



(No Model.)

J. A. YARGER.

GAME COUNTER. No. 394,900. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

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. tion slightly itmay be adapted for use as a UNITED STATES PATENT @EEicE.

JOHN A. YARGER, OF NEXV HAMPTON, IOYVA.

GAME-=CQUN'TER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 394,900, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed February 25, l 888.

To all whom it may 007100772: Be it known that 1, loan A. YARGER, of 1 New Hampton, in the county 01? Chickasaw i and State of lowznhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Game-Connters; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a t'ull, clear, and exact; descript ion ol? the same. My invention is an improved register or counter, and in the particular form herein shown and described is adapted for the use of base-ball umpires for registering balls, strikes, and the number of innings played, though it i will be obvious that by changing its construccounter for any game.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus that after a certain fixed number ol" registrations have been made the next attempt at registering will rcsult in sending all of the pointers or hands 5 back to their normal position.

The invention therefore consists, broadly, ot' a shell or case having a suitable dial-face, containing within it toothed wheels fixed to suitable shafts and acted upon by suitable push and holding pawls and retracting springs, said shafts carrying pointers or hands for imlicating on the dial the desired numbers.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the above-nientioned elements, of means for returning the pointers to their normal position automatically upon an attempt to register beyond a certain number.

Further, the invention consists in means for returning the pointers to their original positions whenever the operator desires; and, finally, it consists in the various details of construction and arrangement of the parts, whereby I am enabled to attain the end sought to be accomplished.

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view with the cover and dial in place. Fig. is asimilar view with thecover and dial removed. l ig. I3 is a central vertical section of my improved device.

In the drawings, the shell or case containing the operating parts is marked A. The cover A of this case is transpmrent, in order that the numbers indicated by the pointers may be observed.

Serial No. 26 5,26 '7. (No iuodelo .lhrough the center ot' the taco 11 ot. this shell extends the end of a shatt, (1, carrying a pointer, I), t'orinditi-atingthe number oti'balls. The other end ot' the shaft has its bearingsin the back plate.

Near the middle of this shalt, and rigidly secured thereto, is a toothed wheel, It, the teeth thereot' being adapted to cngagewit'h a spring-pawl, c. pivoted on a post secured to the bottom of the case. This toothed wheel 1 13 has rigidly attachml to it or east with it a smallertoothed wheel, C. the-teeth of which are adapted to be engaged by the spring-arm (I, secured tothe side of the case, said arm having a projection extendingthrough a slot to the outside of the case, and having a button attached to the end of said propction, whereby upon pushing upon the said button the shaft (,1 will be rotz'ited. and thus the poi uter 7) caused to register.

Attached at one end to the under side of the wheel 13, and at the other end to .the bottom of the case, is a coilspring, e, adapted to be placed under tension by the rotation of the shaft when the pointer h is registering, and adapted when the wheel I is forced out of engagement with the pawl c to return it to its normal position, which in the present case will happen just as the pointer o reaches the number 5 on the dial.

In order to accomplish this return of the shaft to its normal position automatically when the desired number is reached, l form upon the under side ol? the wheel li a projectioinf, extending out beyond the periphery of said wheel, and this projection is so placed upon the wheel that at'tier the pointer passes the fourth number the projection f will ride up upon an inclined plane, f, secured in proper position on the bottom oi the case, which will thus force the wheel up out of engagement with the pawl 0, when the spring will act to return the mechanism to its normal position above the pawl, a recess being formed in the place (it one of the teeth lorthe. pawl to come into line with the wheel again, which it will do under the action of its spring, and thus be ready for a continuation of its action.

The mechanism for indicating the number of strikes which a batter has had is as tollows: Loosely carried upon the upper part of the shaft a is a sleeve, D, carrying on its up per end the pointer b, and having rigidly secured to it a toothed wheel, E, similar to the wheel B, engaging with the pawl 71, having east with it a toothed wheel, F, similar to the wheel C before described, and an arm, (Z, operates the pointer in the same manner as the arm (Z does the other mechanism. This wheel E has a projection, g, adapted to ride up upon an inclined plane, g, between the second and third spaces, and thus force the wheel E out of engagement with the pawl 71, the mechanism being returned to its proper position by means of the spring 71', shown as attached one end to the wheel E and the other end to the side of the case, and adapted to be put under tension by the rotation of the sleeve D. It will thus be seen that both wheels, one carried by the shaft and one by the sleeve, are operated by push-pawls, and are released from these pawls by elevating the wheel through inclines upon the plane of the pawls. The springs heretofore described serve to retract them for a fresh start. In order to return these wheels to the plane from which they started, I have provided a spiral spring upon the sleeve, (indicated at 1%,) which exerts constant pressure upon the wheel, and when said wheels have been returned to their normal position the spiral spring forces them down to the plane of their respective pawls. As heretofore described, at a point upon each wheel a space is cut out between two teeth, which allows the wheel when returned by its retracting-spring to be forced down in line with its pawl, the recess permitting ofthis movement, as it extends beyond the inwardly-projecting end of the said pawl, and in the first movement of each wheel the pawl innnediately comes in contact and works over a tooth.

In order to indicate the number of innings, I have supported a ratchet-wheel, m, beneath the cross-stamlard, which carries upon a pintle an index-finger which registers the number of innings played on the dial-face, agraduated circle being arranged to one side of the center, as shown. This ratchetwheel may have its teeth so formed as to require two movements of the push-pawl. M (the thumbpiece of which extends outside of the shell) to indicate a single inning, the single movementindicated carrying the pointer, for instance, between S and 9, showing that eight and one-half innings have been played. A suitable spring, 10, as shown, keeps the ratchet-wheel from movement, except when operated upon by the pushpawls.

In case it is desired to return the parts to their normal position after a certain number of balls or strikes, both wheels can be thrown out of engagement with their holdingpawls by pressing upon the button 1l, connected with the post, extending through the under part of the case, and the retraeting-springs of said wheels will then return them to their starting-place.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a register and in combination, a shaft, as a, carrying a pointer, a ratchet-wheelfixed thereon, push and holding pawls, and a retracting-spring for said ratchetwheel, a sec ond ratchet-wheel fixed to a sleeve on the shaft, the same being provided with a pointer, and means for raising the wheels out of connection with their holding-pawls and retracting-springs, all substantially as described.

2. In combination with the shell or case having an incline formed on the bottom thereof, the shaft a, carrying the wheel B, the springarm, pawl, and retracting-sprin for the same, said wheel having a lug projecting beyond its periphery, whereby in the rotation of the shaft the lug will ride up upon the incline on the bottom of the case, thus forcing the wheel out of engagement with the pawl and allowing it to be returned to its normal position, substantially as described.

In combination, an indicator for registering the number of balls, connected to the shaft, a ratchet-wheel carried on said shaft, a pawl for holding the same, a push-pawl for operating it, a spring for retracting it, an incline formed on the bottom of the case, and a projection on the ratchet-wheel for comingin contact with said incline to elevate the ratchetwheel and thereby release it from its holdingpawl, a sleeve mounted on the shaft, an indicater for registering the number of strikes connected therewith, a ratchet-wlueel also attached thereto, a holding-pawl for said wheel and a push-pawl for operating it, a retracting-spring, an incline formed on the case, and a projection on said wheel adapted to engage with said incline to free said wheel from its holding-pawl, and an indicatorto register the number of whole and half innings connected with a suitable ratchet-wheel, a holdingpawl for said wheel, and an Operatingpawl for the same, sul stantially as described.

l. In combination with a suitable shell or case having inclines formed on the bottom thereof, the wheels l3 and E, the lugs carried thereon, adapted to ride up upon the inclines, the springs for returning the wheels to their normal position, and the spring for forcing them down for a continuation of the operation, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a suitable shell or case, the wheels B and E, carried on suitable shafts, holding-pawls for said wheels, a button for forcing up the shafts and thus elevating the wheels out of engagement with their pawls, springs for returning the wheels to their normal positions, and the spring for forcing them down for a continuation of the operation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name i to this specification in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

JOHN A. YARGER. Witnesses:

W. H. Bows,

J. W. LAUGHLIN.

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